Here's a recipe for an amazing comic book: take equal parts of political intrigue and superhero action, combine that with excellent writing and great art, stir and pour over ice and you get "Ex Machina" from WildStorm Comics.
Most comics like to keep their action and politics separate, seeing that the daily battles between superheroes would generally constitute a political nightmare, but "Ex Machina" looks politics directly in the eye and decides to confront it head on.
"Ex Machina" tells the story of Mitchell Hundred, a former superhero who has rose through the ranks of New York City politics to become the mayor of the Big Apple. As a superhero, Hundred went by the moniker "The Great Machine" as he flew about utilizing his unique ability to "speak" to mechanical devices, allowing him to make them behave how he wants. After becoming a hero and preventing a part of the disaster on 9/11, Hundred instantly became a idol among New Yorkers, which allowed him to run for a win the election for mayor. As mayor, Hundred doesn't use his powers as often, but he proves himself to be a proficient and moderate mayor, keeping most people in the city happy.
The writing for Ex Machina is handled by Brian K. Vaughan, the writer of the crossover hit "Y: The Last Man" for Vertigo comics and a head writer for ABC's "Lost." Vaughan's writing style fits this book very well, with great dialogues and a talent for pulling out bizarre little facts about the history of politics in New York City and placing them in the story.
Vaughan also keeps the series fresh by confronting real-world political issues such as the legalization of marijuana, freedom of expression and gay marriage, among other things. Vaughan places all of these events on a plotline that jumps back and forth between Hundred's days as The Great Machine and his work as the mayor, drawing parallels between his two chosen professions.
Of course, what is a comic book without the art? In this department, Tony Harris fits the story perfectly. Harris is able to draw characters with incredibly expressive faces, which allows dialogue-driven scenes to remain interesting (a lesser artist would likely lose the reader in the third panel or so). But, for every bit of talent Harris has in drawing dialogue scenes, he has an even better ability for action. The action in "Ex Machina" is usually brief, lasting only a few pages per issue, but Harris is a master at capturing the motion and the energy of The Great Machine as he saves the inhabitants of New York.
"Ex Machina" has told its story for 30 issues, with 20 or so more to come, according to Vaughan. The best place to start with this series is from the very beginning with the trade paperback "The First Hundred Days," which collects the first five issues of the series.
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